10 DIY tips to decorating your wedding on a budget

Planning a wedding is the most exciting time of your life, but it can also be one of the most expensive times too. Often, people feel they need to spend a lot on the finer details, such as decorating and making the venue look amazing for photos, and whilst this is a great aspect of planning a wedding, it can really add up. Luckily, there are lots of money-saving tricks to decorating a space whilst still delivering the wow factor! Here are some of our great cost-saving ways to decorate your wedding venue that is guaranteed to make a great impression and minimize spending whilst maximising the impact on your big day:

Stock up on jam!

This is the ideal decoration for any sweet-toothed bride or groom, stocking up on jam jars a few months before your big day! If your venue is quite big, why not get friends and family involved in saving up their different glass jars too- the more variety the bigger the impact on the big day! Alternatively, if you don’t have time to waste waiting for empty jars, you can also buy jars in bulk from sites such as eBay, as people look to sell their own wedding decorations.

With endless storage and decorative possibilities, these simple yet effective glass jars can be used as vases for flowers, containers for sweets and other treats or can even be tealight holders- the possibilities are literally endless! Some jars are pretty enough without adding paints or lace, it is personal preference if you want to add simple lace or bow decoration, or just leave them plain. Here are just some ideas for decorating with jars that look fantastic and cost literally the price of jam:

Get guzzling!

Another great use for recycling glass is using old beer and wine bottles as vases! Again, there are two options for this bargain decoration, either start collecting early, get friends involved or ask your local pub very nicely for a selection of their old glass bottles. If you aren’t likely to get through enough wine before your wedding day, why not have a search on Amazon for a great variety of glass bottles with decorative lights or that have been coloured already. Once you have a good selection of different sized bottles, you can either spray paint them in the desired colours for your big day or simply leave them as they are. They are most effective used as a flower vase with a single flower in each but adding lights to them can equally be a great way to decorate your venue for the evening.

Hunt around for pre-made wedding bundles

Sites like eBay, Sell my wedding and Gumtree are perfect for those looking to decorate their wedding venue on a budget. Many other brides and grooms sell on their wedding decorations in bulk after their own special day, meaning you could bag a real bargain for your own wedding day! Bundles of bunting, jam jars, and wedding signs are really popular on these auction sites so depending on the style you are looking for, there will be something to suit your tastes. This is a particularly fab idea for those who are less crafty or time-strapped and don’t have the time to dedicate to decorating jam jars and crates. Get bargain hunting!

Get creative with the sewing machine

If you are up for getting crafty, why not turn your hand to making your own bunting! If you are having a more rustic or country wedding, having mismatched bunting will suit your theme perfectly. Collect some cheap material bundles, like these from Amazon, and get yourself some long length ribbon, depending on how much space you have to hang bunting. Simply draw on one side of your chosen material, in a triangle shape, and cut out. Then, using your sewing machine or if you have a lot of time, hand sew your triangles onto your ribbon, leaving enough space between each one. Alternatively, if this is too time-consuming, bag yourself a pre-made bargain like these from eBay and Ali Express– no-one will know!

Once you pop- you just can’t stop!

Another great accessory for decorating is the humble cork- after all if you are collecting wine bottles why not collect the corks too! Using wine corks is particularly great if your wedding venue is outdoors or even in a vineyard and the possibilities for decorating with them is endless. If you have time, get crafty with corks and cut them in half, sticking them inside a large frame for an instant DIY take on a table plan or alternative guest book. If this is too time-consuming, use the corks to fill out glass vases as centerpieces, or alternatively cut them half way down and use them as individual place name holders on your table. If collecting corks will take too long, buy them in bulk, like these from eBay that works out less than £10 for 100. These are just a few examples of how humble corks can make a big impact on your special day;

Get crate-tive..

Pallets, or crates, are another great way of decorating and are virtually free- if you’re lucky enough to find someone who is giving them away. There are plenty of ‘collection only’ pallets up for grabs from local builders merchants as well as on Gumtree, so this could be the biggest bargain on your special day! Use pallets to display the order of your day on, to use as a doughnut stand (if you’re having doughnuts) or even to hang your collection of jam jars filled with flowers- the possibilities are endless and you don’t need to spend hours being crafty to get a great rustic effect with a pallet. These are some fab examples of easy DIY pallet ideas;

Be charitable

Charity shops are another great way to get hold of decorations at bargain prices. If you are going for a more vintage or rustic feel, why not collect random picture frames and turn them into your table numbers or have a collection of different frames for displaying photos of the bride and groom. Charity shops are a treasure trove of finds, the trick is to keep hunting around for things you feel would suit your big day. You may find some real hidden treasures, enabling you to replicate things like this great trunk for cards or vintage frame table display;

DIY favours

Lots of bride and grooms fall into the trap of spending a lot of money on guest favours and find them either unused or left behind after the big day. Get savvy with your favour ideas and choose something edible that will be inexpensive to buy in bulk but will still have an impact on your guests. Small sweets are a great way to make sure people take notice and more importantly enjoy favours. Personalised love hearts are a great example of cheap and thoughtful favours, and these tasty treats are priced on eBay at £21.49 for 100. If love hearts aren’t your thing, these bottle openers come engraved with your own special message and are sold in bulk on Ali Express for around £57 for 100. Alternatively, you can get hold of sweets and make up your own bags for wedding favours- the possibilities are endless when it comes to inexpensive ways to thank your guests.

Alternative guest book ideas

Save money on expensive guest books whilst making a decorative feature at the same time! Say goodbye to traditional books for signing and explore alternative options such as ‘advice jars’. Get your hands on a large glass jar, like this one on Amazon, and set about decorating it (if you want!) Make sure to place some small pieces of paper or notes, like these fabulous blank business cards from eBay, next to the jar and encourage your guests to leave messages for you. Alternatively, using your cork board, hang some wire across the frame a few times and leave some tiny pegs for people to leave messages on.

Go wholesale with your flowers

If you are looking for maximum impact with flowers on a minimal budget then consider either artificial flowers or buy wholesale. Buying artificial flowers to decorate your venue will not only save you money and make a real impact on your guests, but you will get much more for your money compared to hiring a florist. With so many sites to choose from selling great looking fake flowers, browse around for the best ones that will suit your venue or wedding colours. Ali express and eBay have some great options for venues of all sizes. Buying artificial flowers in bulk is often the cheapest option and using greenery such as fake ivy or vines is a great tip to covering a large space whilst making a real impact for guests. Wholesale flower markets are another great option if you don’t want to fake your flowers. Going early in the morning means you will have a better ‘pick of the bunch’, and often, flower market traders are open to haggling- especially if you are looking to buy a particular flower in bulk. Do your research to find your nearest wholesale flower market and prepare to bargain!

Why not try one of our great cost-saving tips for decorating your wedding this summer and see for yourself how much you could save just by trying one of these DIY tips. Weddings are already very expensive without having to worry about the cost of decorating, especially if your venue is big. If you’re getting married this year, why not try one of these for your big day!